Kirkland issues emergency proclamation to support King County sewer repairs; Cross Kirkland Corridor to close Sept. 29

Kirkland's city manager issued an emergency proclamation this week to give the city maximum flexibility while King County repairs a compromised section of the East Side interceptor sewer line that runs under the Cross Kirkland Corridor. Without immediate action, the transcript notes, the compromised pipe “poses a risk of structural failure that could result in an uncontrolled wastewater overflow reaching Lake Washington.”

The repair project includes installing a temporary bypass pipeline along the CKC. The hosts said the work will require a temporary full closure of the CKC Trail beginning Sept. 29 for approximately two weeks, followed by partial trail access and intermittent closures over the following weeks. The city advised trail users to consider alternate routes during the full-closure period.

The Kirkland City Council later received a report on King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s request for an emergency exemption and the city’s permitting process for repairs to East Side interceptor section 14, which runs beneath the CKC. That report was presented to the council; the transcript does not record a council vote on the exemption or any vote tallies.

Discussion vs. decision: the emergency proclamation is an executive action by the city manager to support King County’s repair work; the council’s role at the meeting was to receive a report. The hosts emphasized the public‑safety rationale and trail impacts but did not record specific mitigation measures beyond the temporary bypass and closures.

Trail users and residents should plan for a full CKC closure beginning Sept. 29 and check city communications for updates on scheduled partial reopenings and intermittent closures as work progresses.